A Lot to Taste: Hot Georgetown Eateries Satisfy

Robert Devaney •

---

It may have been hot June 1, but the Taste of Georgetown proved hotter with 25 Georgetown restaurants offering their top dishes, a “Craft Libation Pavilion,” live jazz from the lawn of Grace Church, a chef showdown — oh, and lots of lemonade and bottled water.

Hosted by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, the annual tasting festival of the town’s food and beverage establishments benefits the Georgetown Ministry Center, a non-profit which helps the homeless at Grace Church. Now in its 20th year, the Taste of Georgetown routinely shuts down Wisconsin Avenue from M down to K Street and with crowd attendance that winds up totaling, by the end of the day, 8,000 to 10,000.

With 50 signature dishes from more than 25 Georgetown dining spots, food lovers and tasters got a chance to add a few newcomers to their palate, such as Bandolero and the soon-to-open El Centro.
Participating restaurants included 1789, Baked & Wired, Bandolero, Bangkok Joe’s, Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge, Café Bonaparte, Clyde’s of Georgetown, Connecticut Copperthite Pie Co., Dean & DeLuca, Degrees Bistro, El Centro, Filomena Ristorante, Georgetown Cupcake, J. Paul’s, Luke’s Lobster, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Muncheez Mania, Neyla, Old Glory, Paolo’s, Ristorante Piccolo, Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Tackle Box, Tony & Joe’s-Nick’s Riverside Grill and Thunder Burger.

To beat the summer heat, Taste of Georgetown unveiled a new focus on craft beers at this year’s Craft Beer & Wine Pavilion. The pavilion included unique brews, such as Brooklyn Brewery’s Summer Ale, Leinenkugel’s Summer, New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire and Rolle Bolle and Starr Hill’s the Love.

Dishes ranged from savory tastes like Maine-style shrimp rolls from Luke’s Lobster and crab-stuffed deviled eggs with mustard barbecue sauce from Old Glory BBQ to sweet treats like Cap’N Crunch and red velvet ice cream from Sprinkles Cupcakes and Key lime cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake and unique, gourmet creations like duck prosciutto with strawberry rhubarb from 1789 and hand-rolled beef short rib agnolotti pasta from Ristorante Piccolo.

Among the competing tastes, this year saw the first-ever “Georgetown Chef Showdown” at high noon. A la “Iron Chief,” Clyde’s executive chef Adam Newton and Bryan Yealy of Capital Restaurant Concepts headed the BID team and the Yelp team, respectively. Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels was on Newton’s winning BID team and helped to avenge a previous cooking loss at the Capella’s Grill Room. Judges for this tasty contest were Anthony Lombardo of 1789 Restaurant and Jakob Esko of the Grill Room at the Capella Hotel.

The traditional table of judges was there to sample each dish. Taste of Georgetown emcee, 94.7 Fresh FM’s Kelly Collis, was also a food judge, along with Shaun Courtney of Georgetown Patch, Jessica Sidman of the Washington City Paper and Holley Simmons of Washington Post Express. Here are the results:

“Best use of Seasonal Ingredients” — Filomena

“Best Overall Dish” — Bandolero

“Veg-Friendly: Best Meat-free Dish” — Bandolero

“Best Way to Satiate a Sweet Tooth” — Degrees

“Carnivore’s Dream Dish” – Ristorante Piccolo

Live music from local musicians included Laissez Foure, a swingin’ jazz quartet, reggae band Mystic Warriors and the Sandra Y. Johnson Sextet.

The event was begun 20 years ago by Grace Episcopal Church on Wisconsin Avenue and its former rector David Bird and member Robert Egger, who went on to found D.C. Central Kitchen. The Georgetown BID has been involved since 2004.

“2013 marks two important milestones in Georgetown: the 25th anniversary of the Georgetown Ministry Center and the 20th year of the Taste of Georgetown,” said Gunther Stern, executive director of the GMC. “Taste of Georgetown is an instrumental fundraiser for us, having raised more than $120,000 through the years in support of our efforts to eradicate homelessness through outreach and education. We look forward to continuing this constructive partnership with Grace Episcopal Church and the Georgetown BID for many anniversaries to come.”

[gallery ids="101319,151223,151217,151211,151206,151200,151194,151188,151183,151178,151174,151235,151168,151238,151163,151243,151228" nav="thumbs"]

Citizens Association Honors Town’s Best; Elects New President

Robert Devaney • June 3, 2013

---

The best of Georgetown was on display May 29 at Dumbarton House during the annual awards meeting and officers’ election of the Citizens Association of Georgetown. Its new president is Pamla Moore.

After departing president Jennifer Altemus welcomed the crowd, councilmember Jack Evans of Ward 2, who lives with his wife Michele and their children on P Street, presented Altemus with a proclamation from Mayor Vincent Gray, designating “May 29, 2013, as Jennifer Altemus Day.”

Evans, for his part, reminded the group that May 29 was the birthday of President John Kennedy, who lived in Georgetown in many houses through his years of public service in D.C. The presumptive mayoral candidate also launched into his “Georgetown’s Golden Age” stump speech which lauds the achievements of the neighborhood since the late 1990s and likewise touts the dynamism of D.C. as one of America’s leading cities, a true “boomtown,” cited by recent media reports.

Then, it was time for the awards during the briskly paced meeting.

The Captain Peter Belin Award was presented to Karen “Cookie” Cruse “for her expert and dedicated work in preserving the historic character of Georgetown.” Cruse said the prestigious award was “frosting on the cake” in her gratitude of the town.

The William A. Cochran Award was presented to Leslie Buhler, executive director of Tudor Place, for “exceptional efforts to protect and enhance the community’s parkland and architectural resources.” While living elsewhere, Buhler said she “loved Georgetown” best.

The Charles Atherton Award was presented to Dana Nerenberg, principal of Hyde Elementary School, for “exceptional service by a dedicated public-sector professional for outstanding work preserving and protecting historic Georgetown.” Nerenberg said that she had “the best job ever.”

The Martin-Davidson Award to the business persons who have contributed significantly to the community was presented to Clyde’s Restaurant Group’s Ginger and John Laytham. Noting Clyde’s longtime involvement in the community and its 50th anniversary in June, John Laytham said, “I hope Clyde’s is around for another 50 years.” Ginger Laytham also noted Clyde’s community efforts and thanked CAG for its leadership.

A special appreciation award was presented to Ray Danieli, now retired from Georgetown University, for his dedicated and distinguished service to the Georgetown community. Danieli said, “The city and the university now have a great relationship.”

Election of CAG officers and four directors also took place at the meeting. Here is the new line-up: Pamla Moore, president; Bob vom Eigen, vice president; Barbara Downs, secretary; Bob Laycock, treasurer; and directors: Diane Colasanto, Karen Cruse, Hazel Denton and Luca Pivato. Jennifer Altemus will remain on the board as immediate past president.

Upon her election as CAG president, Moore recalled that when asked to run she thought about it and then told the audience: “The reason I said yes was you.”
[gallery ids="101318,151166,151148,151162,151154,151158" nav="thumbs"]

Park Service to Discuss Boathouse Study May 22 at West End Library

Robert Devaney • May 30, 2013

---

The National Park Service will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m., May 22, at the West End Public Library to discuss its Georgetown non-motorized boathouse zone feasibility study. The library is at 1101 24th St., NW, at the corner of 24th and L Streets.

The NPS study has been completed and outlines various tracts of land near Key Bridge that could accommodate a boathouse for rowing, canoeing and kayaking. It envisions three kinds of development scenarios: high density, medium density and low density.

The high-density option calls for work at land west of the Washington Canoe Club (which would be renovated and included in the land use) along with a site west of the Potomac Boat Club and the present Key Bridge Boathouse and land at 34th and K Streets. The medium-density plan calls for use of the western most shoreline in the study, as in the high density plan, not use of the Washington Canoe Club, and use of the Key Bridge Boathouse and the land at 34th and K. The low-density plan uses only the property east of Key Bridge and is included in all three plans. This site at 34th and K Street is seen as having the least impact and is expected to be primarily used by universities (Georgetown and George Washington) and high schools. It would hold a three-story building. This tract is west and adjacent to Georgetown Waterfront Park, which was completed last year.

The following are comments from the National Park Service as well as from its “Georgetown Nonmotorized Boathouse Zone Feasibility Study.”

“The feasibility study examined the potential implementation of a non-motorized boathouse zone on the shore along the District of Columbia’s side of the Potomac River waterfront in Georgetown. The NPS examined the structures and facilities related to non-motorized boat usage, including rowing, canoeing and kayaking, that can be accommodated within this zone, as well as other uses, such as cycling and passive recreation. This study will lay the groundwork for future decision-making regarding: (1) scenarios for development/improvement of NPS facilities or potential land exchanges for private development of boathouses; and (2) further planning and National Environmental Policy Act/National Historic Preservation Act compliance as necessary to implement the non-motorized boathouse zone.”

“This nonmotorized boathouse zone (NMBZ) extends from 34th Street, NW, at the western edge of Georgetown Waterfront Park to approximately a quarter mile upriver from Key Bridge in the District of Columbia. The zone encompasses both public and private lands, including portions of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal NHP) and Rock Creek Park, and several private parcels (the Potomac Boat Club, several private residences, and a small parcel accessible from the shoreline only).”

“While the public involvement effort of the feasibility study did not produce a groundswell of support for a single development vision, stakeholders were in agreement that a better-defined development program for the entire zone was desirable (in contrast to site-by-site development). Next steps in planning for the NMBZ would likely include preparation of an EIS that would further analyze the development scenarios, a revision of the Georgetown Waterfront Park Master Plan, and proposals for one or more land exchanges for boathouses.”

The deadline for public comments to the NPS is on May 24. The NPS May 22 public open house will run 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the West End Library’s large meeting room.

[gallery ids="101299,150010" nav="thumbs"]

Percy Plaza to Be Dedicated May 23 at Wisconsin & K

Robert Devaney •

---

The Senator Charles H. Percy Plaza will be dedicated 4 p.m., May 23, by the District of Columbia and the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park. At the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and K Street, Percy Plaza forms the gateway to the park, which the longtime Republican senator from Illinois and Georgetown resident helped make a reality by his leadership and commitment at a critical time in the park’s development. All are invited.

Participating in the ceremony are Council Jack Evans and Sharon Percy Rockefeller, Percy’s daughter. Also invited are Mayor Vincent Gray and District Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

The $24-million, 10-acre park, a joint project of the National Park Service, the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park and the District of Columbia, opened officially on September 13, 2011, four days before Percy’s death on Sept. 17.

“No one would have loved more to be here front row and center,” said WETA president and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller of her 91-year-old father, Sen. Percy, during the September 2011 park dedication. “He would be thrilled to see this magnificent setting. It is his fondest and last best work.”

“The Georgetown Waterfront Park would not be here today without the commitment and support of Senator Percy and his family,” said Bob vow Eigen, president of Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park.

A plaque in Percy’s honor at the park reads, in part: “Senator Charles H. Percy was pivotal in the creation of the Georgetown Waterfront Park. Senator Percy—a Georgetown resident, lover of the waterfront, and supporter of local high school rowing—chaired the Georgetown Waterfront Park Commission that was so instrumental in the park’s creation.”

Percy was a U.S. senator from 1967 to 1985. He was a WWII veteran, a Navy ensign, and became president of Bell & Howell at the age of 29. In the Senate, he focused on legislation involving business and foreign relations. He was a moderate Republican, who found himself on President Richard Nixon’s “enemies’ list.” As a retired senator, Percy remained active and could be seen and heard at meetings around town, such as those of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.

Georgetown architect Outerbridge Horsey remembered going to see Percy downtown with the late architect Bill Cochran to ask Percy to take on the leadership role in the waterfront project. “He was very amenable and agreeable,” Horsey said. “And he wasn’t just a figurehead with a famous name. He chaired every meeting in the early years until he resigned, and he had that voice and bearing of authority which got people to work together. He was very much a good citizen and member of the Georgetown community.”

[gallery ids="101300,150014" nav="thumbs"]